Hand Tools

I found this on my nightly perusal of Youtube

Back on Labor Day weekend, at the Tractor Fest in West Liberty, OH...picked an old, DIRTY, canvas roll... That had rusty bits, missing bits, wrong bits...price was $5.. Well, the other day..decided to straighten things out a bit....dragged out the "Black Box".. Open it up.. Something like this...looking for Irwin style bits...and the sizes that the roll was missing.. Some of the bits IN the roll were a bit rusty....we have ways.. Those bits that were too pitted to use, were missing the cutting spurs...were tossed in the trash.. Took a while of digging around, getting the best of the bunch cleaned up..…

I just acquired this old brace, i have not started cleaning it, looking closely i cannot find any markings. Anyone have an idea what it is? A couple of key items: The head is cut flat on 2 sides, looks original. The head does not turn at the moment, but since the flats are at an odd angle (not aligned with the frame) i’m thinking it should turn. The small device next to the gearbox can be pulled out and turned, it controls the ratcheting of the chuck. Clockwise, ccw and fixed. The shaft sticking out of the 90* corner looks like it accepts a crank handle, and it turns with the chuck.

Spent a bit of time, cleaning up a drill...including fixing it's chuck....The chuck uses a plate to push the 3 jaws up, and tighten on a drill bit..Shined up and oiled in all the proper places.. Appears to be a Goodell Pratt Co. Model No. 5-1/2 B....as it does not have the Hollow top handle. Later versions also got rid of that huge side handle. Someone had to replace the thread part on the long handle.....with a square-headed bolt that runs all the way through. I didn't really like the square part...a few minutes at the grinder changed it to a nice rounded shape.. Both pinon gears are a bit close together..with a cylinder in-between. Dri…

I originally came to this site because of a search hit for an old tool, so i thought i would add more info. I recently acquired this Goodell-Pratt 0316 chain drill, it’s in very good condition with just a little tarnish. No idea on the age, but i think G-P was only in existence from about 1885 to 1931. I disassembled the tool so i could clean it up, i was only planning on cleaning, removing the tarnish, and oiling. Quite a bit of the original japan finish is still in place. Looking at the overall picture, the 3 rings just above the chuck … turns out they are a very basic ball bearing system. The first and last washers are just flat washers, the middle on…

Trying to write up a story about an old tool I bought at a Garage Sale a while back..and how I tried to get it in working order.. Top end..and The adjustable Table ( raise it up and down ) Chuck still had a small broken drill bit... Asking price WAS $25....made him an offer he couldn't refuse of $10....and he helped load it up into the Chevy This is a Champion Blower Forge Co. No. 90 Post Drill...Hand cranked, was made before 1920..when they started to concentrate more on Fans...and changed their Brand Name. They also made forges for Blacksmiths, that they could turn a crank to add air to the forge's fire....inst…

Ok, so I went down to Tulsa to the Woodcraft store on Saturday, and purchased their 2" x 6" x 18" granite plate to use primarily for sharpening chisels, plane irons, and my spokeshave blade. I followed their instructions on their web site, soaking the paper in water, hoping the capillary action would stick it down to the surface of the plate. That didn't exactly work. Some of it stuck down, but the ends were curling up. I pulled up a you tube video where the man was using a diamond plate and wrapped it with his wet or dry sandpaper to hold everything down. His reason for doing it that way was that yes, the paper will curl, and when the edge of your blade or iron hits…

and yes, they both had bits in the handle....apparently not much appreciated these days.

Remember that WIDE chisel I picked...? I got to checking the bevel a bit closer... About the 1st 1/8" was pitted..badly...even on the back... Makes it very hard to get a sharp edge....Bevel was rounded instead of flat... hauled a big glass of water to the shop...we have work to do.. First off, get rid of the pits.. 90 degrees, until no mo pits... Right wheel (coarse), left wheel Fine ...Coarse to grind away the pits...fine to flatten the back.. Tall glass of water...Oil stones in a little bit..Got the bevel hollow ground to just barely the edge...checking for square ( alot) …

Marking gauge come in 2 types pins and roller. Which do you use and why? I am looking at getting one.

A Friend down in Clayton, OH dropped off a few items that he had nickel plated for me... 3 lever caps, and a block plane's cap iron...block plane is a Sargent, sold by Sears.. Now has the proper cap iron. The Millers Falls No. 8's lever cap still needs a bit of Cardinal Red paint...to match the others.. Sitting beside a No. 11 Junior Jack Those 2 wide bodied planes? One is a Sargent No. 410c, type 3...the other is a Stanley No. 4-1/2c, Type 11... Drills? Nickel Plated E.C. Stearns tenon cutter... With a Brace drill There is a special drill I will need to work on a bit better.. …

A friend's dad (age 98) has gone into a nursing home, and we've been helping to sort through all kinds of old stuff. The man never threw anything away! Most of these were destined for the scrap metal bin. Should give me something to do in my spare time, IF I ever find any! The sheep shears are in amazingly good shape, but I doubt I'll ever shear another sheep! The tack hammer will join my hammer collection, now somewhere around 50. The bit will go on the wall with the assorted horse shoes. Can't really figure out what the small axe thingy is (was?), looks like a tomahawk, but with two nail puller slots? The larger one will get a new handle. The double-e…

Had already cleaned up one drill... Which left these 3 items to work on.. Stanley Handyman drill...Craftsman block plane...Fulton Tool Company chisel.. Chisel was cleaned up..where I found the Logo. Overall length is 14"...had to clean and tighten the handle.. Width? 1-3/4" wide...will grind a new edge, someday...to get back past all the pitting... Next up was the Sargent, Made for Sears Craftsman Block plane All cleaned up, iron was sharpened..moving parts got a drop or 3 of 3in1 oil.. Which left this drill A Stanley Handyman No. H1220... I cleaned all the crud…

This is a scanned document of the now defunct Workbench Magazine of this era. Permission was granted by the new Workbench Publication for The Patriot Woodworker community to copy and use the old Workbench Magazine at our pleasure, and for free distribution and re-use. To see more articles and plans like this, go to: The Patriot Woodworker DOWNLOADS

A few years ago, archaeologists uncovered this ancient Stone Age axe with an intact wooden shaft stuck into the ground at Rødbyhavn, Denmark It dates to the Stone Age, about 5,500 years ago! Axes were an important tool in the Stone Age for wood-work purposes. They played a significant role in the introduction of agriculture at a time when most of the land was covered by forest, which needed to be cleared. A paddle, two bows, and 14 axe shafts were found nearby, all of which were standing upright. The researchers believe these artifacts were lodged into the ground deliberately, perhaps as sacrificial offerings. Museum Lolland-Falster

Had issues with the camera I WAS using to read the card....connects broke. Ordered a better card Reader...to where I can just insert the Micro Card from the main Camera into the Reader, and it stays connected to the computer. Decided to take a few photos, and get the Reader to talk to my computer....took a while....comes in as a "new" file, right under the "old" one...so, here goes.. Overhead lights are not quite right for this camera...turns things a "Pinkish/Orange" colour....tried to correct it... under this lid is another label.. Matches the one on the plane's iron.. So..lid is opened. . This is one of 2 such…

You know, this one? Outside...a ready use area for a few saws, a drill (that is too BIG to hang inside) And a few other toys...maybe open a door or two? Top half of the left hand door..a few saws, a couple squares..lower half? A rack full of screwdrivers, hand drills, a couple block planes, and a few pliers..and a couple dovetail saws Turn slightly to the right.. A few hand planes another saw...look up a bit... Haven't even opened the right hand door yet. Squares, spokeshaves, and drills..even a "4-in-hand" File. Open the right hand door, and set the brace to keep it opened.. A NEW rack for all of m…

I've had this hatchet since I was a teenager. I'm under the impression that tool was brought home from Europe after the war ended by my father. The handle was broken when I got it and I re-handled it back in the '80s with a store bought handle. I've used it a bunch over the years and it's been hunting, fishing, camping, along with other chores. Any guru's out there that can tell me more about it? The text stamped into the head says: U.S. something something Fork something something CO 1946 .40

I absolutely love my new to me spoon bit collection, and a few other odds n ends, spur bits, drill bits, and they work perfectly in my smallest Spofford No.108 brace. I received these bits in the mail from a friend here on The Patriot Woodworker, I shall not divulge his name unless he wants to be known, but I just wanted to say thank you very much, this was a very pleasant surprise for me when they came in the mail. It was completely by surprise! So I inserted one of the spoon bits in my Spofford and bore a nice clean hole in a chunk of Ash, it cut very well and accurate. Larger spoon bits are coveted by chair makers, and these smaller ones will be…

Sunday's Afternoon time in the shop, was cut short by Uncle Charles hitting BOTH Calves....however.. Felt was installed ( I hate felt) Feet were added to the bottom..4 screws per foot.. Mitre Box is on TDY.. While the Stanley No. 358 is out for Maintenance Needs cleaned up, King Bolt needs adjusted, too loose...then dug out the wrenches to change a saw blade with.. Yes, it takes two wrenches....Hand tools for today? Needed a pilot hole drill.. Automatic center punch came in handy...needed the Xacto Knife to cut (barely) the felt patches... Tonic & Gin to get rid of Ser Uncle Charle…